anna grace haas silva: Reflecting on China.... and Anatomy Camp.

Well, I just got back last night from Anatomy and Physiology Camp at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, which is a whole other amazing story that I could talk about for HOURS! (But I won't :) That will be for another time. I've had many amazing weeks in my life, but this was definitely one of the most amazing. The funny thing is that I really didn't want to go to camp because my new niece Olivia had just come home the night before I left. I told myself that I'd only be gone for a week and that I'd get through it.... well, God so blessed me this whole entire week by giving me the best counselor, the best roommate, the greatest conversations and new friends, an amazing taste of life in the anatomy and physiology lab... by the end of the week I wasn't wanting come home quite as much anymore! I learned so much this week and I wouldn't trade it for anything. BIG thanks to WORLD Magazine for the great advertisement and to Mom who encouraged me to go in the first place.

Then this morning I got up and ran a 5k race with my sister Emily who is living in Knoxville, TN for the summer but is home for July 4th! Whoohoo! Andrew and Jen and Jon are also here... love having everyone here on the holidays! Happy 4th everyone!

Now I finally have some time to share about my trip to China that I went on in June!

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"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
-Jeremiah 29:11

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
-James 1:27

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, " Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here I am. Send me!"
-Isaiah 6:8

"I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you."
-John 14:18

What can I say about this amazing expereice I had in China? I was so blessed to spend these couple of weeks with two of my dearest friends from Show Hope, Wendy and Katie, and a team of 16 amazing girls from all over the States.
It was very surreal for me to go back to New Hope in Beijing. It had been two years, and for all that time I had been thinking about and praying for the kids there.... It seemed unreal to finally be back! There are only a few kids still there that I knew from last time; most of them have been adopted! There is one little girl, Jayne, who is getting adopted soon. This is especially exciting for me becuause I know the
family that she is going to, and I became close with her two years ago becuase I helped with her physical therapy everyday. She was such a
precious little one, and it's so amazing to see her finally going to her forever family!

We spent most of our time in China in Luoyang at Maria's Big House Of Hope, which is south west and overnight train ride aways from New Hope in Beijing.
It was an amazing time being with the precious little ones there. It really is a beautiful thing to spend time with and get to know their little personalities, and be able to pray for them. We know that the Lord has a plan for each one of them, and it is awesome to get to be His hands and feet and be a part of that plan.

The Bible study that we did each day was from two books, one is a
devotional called Seeds Of Change, and the other a book called The Calvary Road. These are absolutely two of my favorite books and it is my hope that you will enjoy them too. You can purchase Seeds Of Change on my friend Kerry's blog at www.KerryHasenbalg.typepad.com. She is a very gifted writer and I hope that these short but powerful devotionals will encourage and inspire you like they have done for me and so many others.

Each day we were challenged by how we need to rid ourselves from pride, that we may filled with Christ and able to be fully used by Him to accomplish Hs will. We were challenged to surrender our own will and desires for His, and to seek Him in how He is calling us to have orphan care be a part of the rest of our lives. It was a really powerful time each day of sharing and learning with one another.
God sure did show up in powerful ways and revealed to me all over again my need to trust in Him in all circumstances and that I don't need to be able to see the whole picture to be able to take the next step of where He is leading me.
"The Lord will work out His plans for my life- for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me."

- Psalm 138:8

What an amazing promise to hold on to, to know that the Lord has a plan for each life that He has created.

I want to share part of one devotion that we did from Seeds Of Change, written by Kerry Hasenbalg.

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A father to the fatherless is God in His holy dwelling.

-Psalm 68:5

"....God, by His Spirit, reminded my heart that He dwells in me and all who believe in Him- we (the body of Christ) are His hands and feet- His holy dwelling here on earth. Thoughts began to flood my mind of all the children I had seen in orphanages who had been abandoned and abused. Then thoughts about the brokeness of the church came to mind and the realization that many do not even realize that caring for orphans is a critical part of our call as God's people. Churches so rarely address this issue.

It is not that God cannot meet the needs of the orphan without men; it is simply that God did not design things to be that way. We are to be His hands extended in caring for orphans just ad God himself would. God's plan for His people has always been for us to represent Gim to the world. We are each called to be a living stone built up into His holy dwelling, fitted together with our brothers and sisters. In 1 Corinthians 3:16, Paul addresses the believers corporately; "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you." Are we properly representing the Lord as His temple? Are we living lives that are set apart from the world, holy, and united with one another? Are we reaching out to the fatherless as our own?

God not only calls us to this, but he equips us as well, through His Spirit, the "Spirit of adoption," which He gave to each of us the moment we first believed. "For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15)......."

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As John Piper said, adoption is the visible Gospel. While we were helpless in our sin, without hope and a future, Christ came and saved us, adopting us into His family as His own children.

The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
-Matthew 25:40

MBHOH's first Geisinger medical team from Pennsylvania have just completed 11 cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries to be done in their new operating room!
Thank you Lord for this amazing team of willing servants!

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me... He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted to give them beauty for ashes... that He might be glorified."
- Isaiah 61:1-3

Allow me to share some pictures of my amazing friends and these precious children that we were so blessed to spend time with!

Team picture at the Summer Palace in Beijing

nothin' like the top bunk in the hot train....

typical face after an overnight train ride in China. It's okay, Mikey, we all made it through, and with no catastrophes!

Team jump!

All of our names in case you were wondering!

View from Maria's before the playground was in.

View of Maria's after the playground went in. Nice work, team!

My friend Emily at Capital Community Church in Beijing

In old town Luoyang with my sweet Katie! (Also our wonderful team leader and translator)

My dearest Wendy and co-team leader with Katie

I love them to infinity and beyond.

reading with Judah during preschool. She was the only one who could console him that day- way to go Katie!!

Wendy with little Frankie (whom I call Jungle Book Girl because she looks just like a girl version of him, and her room is Junlge Book themed!)

Mikey, who works for Show Hope at Maria's (and was the only guy in our group of 20 for two weeks... but he was still the best host!) with Grace

Fixing Jungle Book Girl's hair.... Lola loved to be the mommy to all the little ones in her room.

Frankie: "I don't want you touching my hair!!"

Lola: "Hold on, I'm almost done!"

Isaac LOVES taking pictures...

She loved little Cadence and he loved her!

Jim loves to smile (at everyone) and give kisses (to everyone).

Wide-eyed and super sweet Eric

We called him Lucas Knox Lebron. Here's why: When he was at New Hope his name was Knox. When he came to Maria's, they didn't know his name so they called him Lucas. Then one of the girls on our team confused his name with that of another boy in his room, Lebron, and she called him that for several days. So here is is sweet Lucas Knox.